“razor-sharp reactions to a constantly shifting musical landscape… delivered in spades.” – bebop spoken here

John’s first album of original compositions, featuring Alex Hitchcock, Jay Davis, Jonny Mansfield, Immy Churchill, Alex Wilson, with Nikki Iles as producer, is set for release in mid-2024.

Hailing from Saltburn-by-the-sea in northeast England, John Williamson has worked and lived in Leeds, Washington DC, and now London. Known for his musical ear, creativity and strong sight-reading, he is at home in small and large ensembles, ranging from straight-ahead jazz to contemporary originals projects.

Since arriving in the capital he has played alongside musicians including Jason Brown, Helena Kay, Nigel Price, Emma Rawicz, Sam Leak, Alex Garnett, Dominic Ingham, Jonny Mansfield, Jo Harrop, Paul Edis, Vasilis Xenopoulos, Nick Costley-White, Gene Calderazzo, Hannes Riepler, Matt Anderson, Rachael Cohen, Sam Braysher, and many more.

In 2020, John won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music, where his tutors included Kit Downes, Nikki Iles, Jim Hart and Orlando Le Fleming, and he received the 2023 Scott Philbrick Prize for highest postgraduate jazz recital mark.

In Washington DC John was house bassist for the prestigious Bohemian Caverns Jazz Orchestra. He recorded twice for Brad Linde’s avant-garde/Americana project Team Players with Billy Wolfe, Aaron Quinn and Deric Dickens, and played regularly alongside David McDonald (Airmen of Note, Kevin McDonald (US Navy Commodores), Marty Nau, Anthony Pirog, and many others. In Leeds, he was bassist and MD for the Leeds University Union Big Band, including performances at the North Sea Jazz Festival and on ITV, and performed with musicians such as Steve Hanley, Martin Longhawn and Ben Lowman.

John is an endorsing artist for Nordstrand Audio’s electric basses, uses Acoustic Image and Genzler amps and cabs, and has been kindly supported in his postgraduate degree and recording projects by Help Musicians. He uses and endorses Hyperoptic broadband in his explorations of online real-time audio. John is often asked to assemble bands for functions in London and further afield — click here for more information. [Photo credit: John Hartley]

High-res photos (credits in filename): download

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